Report: Some pro athletes endorse unhealthy foods

9:31 AM,
Oct. 16, 2013

Basketball star LeBron James of the Miami Heat appears on a bottle of Coca-Cola Co.'s Powerade sports drink

Written by

MICHELLE HEALY
USA Today/Gannett

Peyton Manning, Serena Williams and LeBron James are among the nation's most prominent and marketable athletes, but they also topped the list when it came to endorsing high-calorie, nutrient-poor food and beverages in 2010, a report shows.

And kids ages 12 to 17 were the primary viewers of athlete-endorsement food commercials. They watched an average of 35 TV ads in 2010; vs. 33 for adults. Kids 11 and under averaged 21, according to the online report in Pediatrics.

"Professional athletes in general are endorsing a lot of unhealthy foods, which is concerning for a country that's struggling ...